The present disclosure relates to improving the function of a panoramic potentiometer (“pan-pot”) which is a hardware or software device used in the broadcast and recording industry to split or mix monophonic (“mono”) audio sources to form multi-channel audio such as stereophonic (“stereo”), 3.1, 5.1 or 7.1 surround, etc.
A pan-pot operates by feeding a selected proportion of a mono audio signal to two or more channels intended for subsequent reproduction by loudspeakers or headphones. By operation of the pan-pot, the mono signal may be effectively “localized” between the two or more channels so that the audio appears to the listener to originate from a particular direction.
Michael Gerzon outlined two of the principal mechanisms that humans use to localize sound images presented to the listener over an array of loudspeakers. At low frequencies (i.e., below about 700 Hz) Gerzon's velocity vector localization theory is appropriate whereas at high frequencies (i.e., from about 700 Hz to about 5 kHz) his energy vector localization model is appropriate.
In some cases, however, low frequency localization angles according to velocity vector localization diverges from high frequency localization angles according to energy vector localization. The effect of this divergence in localization angles may be audible, particularly on wide-band audio sources that contain low and higher frequency audio. In the case that the low frequency localization is correct the sound may also appear to have undesirable width at higher frequencies and may sound blurred and unstable.